Of the 2000 who came to Nova Scotia, 400 or more were settled in New Brunswick in May 1815. The remainder were settled in Trinidad and other British colonies. About 2000 of these Black Refugees sailed to Nova Scotia between September 1813 and August 1816 on both naval vessels and private transports chartered by the British. Although not addressed specifically to slaves, the intent of the proclamation was clear.Ībout 4000 enslaved African Americans, primarily from coastal Georgia and the Chesapeake region (Maryland and Virginia), seized this opportunity to escape from slavery. The offer was issued in part as a response to escaped slaves who had already come over to the British side. The War of 1812, like the War of Independence thirty years earlier, provided enslaved African Americans with the opportunity to escape the chains of the 'peculiar institution.' In April 1814, British military authorities offered Americans who deserted to the British side the opportunity of entering into British military service or going as free settlers to one of the British colonies. The Decline and Disappearance of Slavery, 1793-1812Īfrican Nova Scotians in the Age of Slavery and Abolition.African Nova Scotians in the Age of Slavery and Abolition.Nova Scotia Births, Marriages, and Deaths.

Provincial Archival Development Program.

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